This page appeared as an
article by Mark Whittaker in the June 2002 issue of the Community News,
in our regular feature "Local History & Heritage with the
Marple Website". A shorter version was included in the 2002
Carnival programme.

It
was intended for this article to include photographs from the 1962 copy of the
Reporter but unfortunately the film has been lost by the developing labs
used by Savers on Market Street. If the pictures are ever returned they'll
be added here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, "THE CARNIVAL"…… in the
next few weeks a great deal will be seen and heard about the Carnival, which has
now become an institution in Marple. The long-standing residents will be "genned"
up of its aims, but those who have recently come into the district may wonder,
what is it all about. – This is how Monty Burton began his programme notes in
the 1969 Carnival programme.

Marple Carnival in 1906 – corner
of Market St. and Stockport Road

Well, if it was an institution then, only seven years after
its revival, what is it today! The month of June would be unthinkable without
the Carnival in Marple and now the fantastic milestone of forty uninterrupted
years of celebrations has been reached, there are many people living in the area
who have never known life in Marple without it.

There is evidence that Carnivals were held in Marple around
the turn of the last century and in local archives and in the Marple Website's
picture galleries are photographs of Marple Carnival in 1905 and 1906. In 1911 a
Festival was held to commemorate the Coronation of King George V but there are
no records of any similar events and it's assumed they lapsed as a result of the
two World Wars. There was a pageant for the dedication of Marple War Memorial
held in 1922 and in 1951 Marple took part in the Festival of Britain, but no
thoughts of a regular celebration were heard until 1961.

The 1962 carnival
programme

In that year Bryan Lockyear, a resident of Marple, came up
with the idea of reviving the Marple Carnival. Following his initiative, a local
public committee was set up "to organise a local Carnival in Marple, the
proceeds of which should be donated to Local Charities". Bryan became the
first Organising Secretary and a young Monty Burton became Chairman of the
Marple Carnival Charities Committee.

The first revived Carnival was held in 1962 and was a
resounding success. Since then a Carnival has been held annually and it's become
an essential fixture on the Marple calendar. Monty Burton continued in his role
as Chairman of the Committee for a further 27 years, becoming something of an
institution himself. The longevity of Marple's Carnival is due to the superb
foundations he and his wife Marjorie created and upon which others have since
been able to build.

This is how that first revived Carnival was reported in local
newspaper The High Peak Reporter, on 8

th
June 1962:

The parade descends
Brabyns Brow

Marple's first Carnival on Saturday, made memorable
history, with scenes never previously equalled. To honour Miss Diana
Brownsey, Marple's first carnival queen and to precipitate Marple into a
gay holiday mood, the proceedings opened with a mile long procession, that
snaked through flag-decked streets to the throb and harmony of four bands:
the 27

th
Manchester Boys Brigade and 42nd
Manchester Boys Brigade and a pipe band, as well as colourfully costumed
jazz bands. The flanking pavements were choked with people who later
flocked to Brabyns Park. At one stage the centre of Marple was completely
ringed by the procession when a tail and lead overlapped at the junction
of Market Street and Stockport Road.

Marple's carnival mood was widely infectious, for visitors
poured into the village by buses and cars; and when all available car
parks were full, the parked cars lined all the approaches. The crowd that
converged on Brabyns Park for the crowning of the queen and subsequent
entertainment was variously estimated as being between ten and fifteen
thousand. It certainly staggered the most optimistic of the organisers;
and it is hoped that profit from the day – all for the Marple old folk's
clubhouse building fund – will be equally staggering.

Colour and novelty

Local organisations and firms cooperated in providing
lorried tableaux and trade exhibits for the procession and notes of
novelty and humour were well sounded.

A happy float!

Marple old aged pensioners rode along in gay nineties
costume, but made their choir conductor, Mrs Madge Brennand, walk in a
most effective guise as Marie Lloyd.

Kay Bros. (Plastics) introduced their foam products
through a sleeky harem scene. Marple Young Liberals looked on mischief
bent as the female horrors of St. Trinians; Mrs Miller brought out the
children of Bowden Lane as Black and White Minstrels; Marple 18 Plus Group
made an eloquent plea for the green belt; and Mrs. Redfern introduced the
children of Norbury Drive as 'the hayseeds'.

Other praiseworthy lorries were added by organisations;
and the Women's Junior Air Corps trainer plane was a great attraction. A
vintage motorcar and early motorised fire engine were other points of
interest on wheels.

On foot there were at least a hundred comic or fancy
dressed characters; and nine troops of Morris dancers, nine entertaining
troops and four jazz bands added another four or five hundred costumed
marchers to the grand parade, that left the Recreation Ground and reached
Brabyns Park about half an hour later.

At Brabyns Park were fun-fair amusements, sideshows,
refreshment tents, and arenas for a children's pet show and four hours
entertainment and competition by the troupes of dancers, entertainers and
jazz bands, many already hung with championship medals.

'A stunning girl'

Television personality, Mr. Bill Grundy, a local resident
and patron of the Carnival, set the park activities in motion by crowning
Carnival Queen Miss Brownsey.

Marple's Chamber of
Trade float

The new chairman of the Council, Councillor A. L. Russell,
president of the carnival, and Mrs. Russell were also on the crowning dais
with the Carnival Queen of Great Britain, Miss Barbara Roberts,
Stockport's Carnival Queen, Miss Barbara Dean, Hayfield's May Queen, Miss
Margaret Booth, Miss Cheshire Rose, the Manchester and District Carnival
Organisation's queen (Miss Sheila Barber) and Marple's bathing beauties
picked at last week's water show.

Queen Diana, wearing a princess style frock of white
brocade, which she had made herself, and a royal blue velvet train and
carrying a spray of roses, looked radiant and was roundly applauded as Mr.
Grundy, placing the crown, claimed the privilege of congratulating her
with a kiss. He said she was 'an absolutely stunning girl' and 'absolutely
home grown'.

She was accompanied by her two princesses, in primrose
cotton dresses, again in princess style with green sashes, Miss Irene Kirk
and Miss Jean Baguley.

Queen Diana called upon the crowd to dig deep into their
pockets for the benefit of the old folks of Marple. She promised to do her
best to be a fitting queen and a worthy representative of Marple.

Then, as today, carnivals were not just about having fun and
the serious side concerns raising as much money as possible for local charities.
In the 1972 programme it was reported that the Carnival had donated a total of
£5,100 to charitable organisations in the district, with the previous year's
donation of £710 becoming a new record. Ten years later the annual donation had
risen to another record level of £2,500 and the total was approaching £20,000.
In 1992 £3,700 was donated and in 2002, who knows – but it's hoped to beat
last year's figure, when the grand total of money raised for local charities had
approached an impressive £75,000.

Over the last 40 years many people have contributed a great
deal of time and effort to make Marple Carnival the success story it has become.
Despite this a constant theme featured in past programmes has always been the
appeal for additional help and volunteers. Today's Carnival Committee is no
different and would welcome new ideas, enthusiasm and commitment. So, if you'd
like to play a role in ensuring another 40 years of success for Marple Carnival,
please get in touch with current Chairman Bill Ardern today.

Of course, if you have anything to share about Marple's
history and heritage, please get in touch with Mark or Peter using our contact
us page.